University Policies

Disruptive Student Behavior Procedure

File code: PRO.DISRUPST.POL
Approval Date: 04/01/80
Approved By: President, Faculty Senate, and CAGAS
Clarification Date: 10/05/95
Revised Date: 04/26/2016

Disruptive Student Behavior is defined as inappropriate student behavior that a reasonable faculty member would view as interfering with the ability of the instructor to teach and students to learn whether in a classroom or other learning environment (such as an online course, laboratory, site field experience, internships, instructor’s office, computer lab, or other setting whether it is an on-campus or off-campus location), which disrupts the educational process. It is also considered disruptive behavior for a student to exhibit threatening, intimidating, or other inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates outside of the learning environment.

In the situation where one or more individuals who are in a course acts, in the judgment of the instructor, in such a manner as to disrupt the normal academic functions in or out of a class, the following actions must be taken:

    1. For all serious or continued cases of disruptive student behavior, the Violation of Student Code of Conduct Form must be filled out and sent to the department chair and to Student Rights and Responsibilities with a copy to the student. Information on the Student Code of Conduct may be found at: https://www.wiu.edu/student_success/srrri/codeofconduct.php. See especially section D, parts 4,5,7.
    2. The instructor must ask the student to cease the disruption.
    3. If the disruption does not cease, the instructor may ask the student to leave the class or other learning environment for that day. If the student refuses to leave, the instructor may call the Office of Public Safety (in Macomb) or Campus Security (in the Quad Cities) for assistance. See contact information below.
    4. If the disruption is extreme or continuous, the instructor may decide to inform the student that he/she may no longer remain in the course and that the student may appeal this decision to the Council on Admission, Graduation and Academic Standards (CAGAS). If this action is taken, the instructor must fill out the Permanent Removal of Disruptive Student form by Instructor Report with CAGAS, with a copy to the student and the department chair, within 5 working days. The student has 5 working days from the date the report was sent to appeal the course removal to CAGAS. CAGAS will forward the report and the results of any appeal to the student, instructor, chair, dean, Student Development Office and Student Rights and Responsibilities.
    5. When a student has been removed from a class, the instructor shall assign the letter grade that is judged appropriate. The student may withdraw from the course through standard procedures, if the deadline to withdraw has not passed. If a reasonable alternative exists for the student to complete the coursework through a mechanism other than attendance in the affected class section, then such alternatives may be offered to the student at the discretion of the department chair and dean.

University Resources to Help Instructors Deal with Disruptive Students

Please refer to the Reference Guide for Helping Students, a link for which can be accessed at https://www.wiu.edu/sdo.

Macomb Campus
      • Office of Public Safety: 309-298-1949
      • Local Police: 911 (If called from a WIU Macomb campus landline, this is routed directly to OPS)
      • Student Rights and Responsibilities: 309-298-2436
      • Disability Resource Center: 309-298-2512
      • University Counseling Center: 309-298-2453
      • Student Development Office: 309-298-1884
Quad Cities Campus*
      • Police (Emergencies): 911
      • Campus Security (Securitas): 309-762-3999 Ext 62298 (non-emergency)
      • Disability Resource Center: 309-762-9481 Ext 62573

* Quad Cities instructors may consult with Macomb Campus resources when appropriate.